听力题 In 1946 there was a program in the Rio Grande valley to substitute the hybrid com, which is produced by mixing several types of corn, for the native corn. The native corn was of poor nutritional quality and gave a poor quantity of grain, while the hybrid corn was of excellent quality and gave about three times as large a crop as the native variety. In the first year, half of the 84 farmers in the village planted the hybrid corn and doubled the corn production. Three years later, however, only three farmers planted the hybrid corn. The others were planting the traditional variety. At the beginning of the project, the program leader studied the pattern of the natural relations of plants, animals, and people to each other and to their surroundings of the area and showed films demonstrating the superiority of the new corn. The farmers agreed that the hybrid corn had great advantages. The size of the corn confirmed these advantages. Why did they stop planting it? They complained that it wasn''t good for cooking and they didn''t like the flavor. In 1946 there was a program in the Rio Grande valley to substitute the hybrid com, which is produced by mixing several types of corn, for the native corn. The native corn was of poor nutritional quality and gave a poor quantity of grain, while the hybrid corn was of excellent quality and gave about three times as large a crop as the native variety. In the first year, half of the 84 farmers in the village planted the hybrid corn and doubled the corn production. Three years later, however, only three farmers planted the hybrid corn. The others were planting the traditional variety. At the beginning of the project, the program leader studied the pattern of the natural relations of plants, animals, and people to each other and to their surroundings of the area and showed films demonstrating the superiority of the new corn. The farmers agreed that the hybrid corn had great advantages. The size of the corn confirmed these advantages. Why did they stop planting it? They complained that it wasn''t good for cooking and they didn''t like the flavor.

听力题 Light travels at a speed that is about a million times faster than the speed of sound. In one second, light travels about 300,000 km, but sound, travels only about 334 meters. You can get some idea of this difference by watching the start of a race. If you stand some distance away from the starter, you can see smoke come from his gun before the sound reaches your ears. This great speed of light produces some strange facts. Sunlight takes about 8 minutes to reach us. If you look at the light of the moon tonight, remember that the light rays left the moon 1.3 seconds before they reached you. The nearest star is so far away that the light that you can see from it tonight started to travel towards you about four years ago at a speed of nearly 20 million km per minute. In some cases, the light from one of tonight''s stars started on its journey to you before you were born. Thus, if we want to be honest, we cannot say, "the stars are shining tonight." We have to say, "the stars look pretty. They were shining four years ago, but their light has only just reached the earth." Light travels at a speed that is about a million times faster than the speed of sound. In one second, light travels about 300,000 km, but sound, travels only about 334 meters. You can get some idea of this difference by watching the start of a race. If you stand some distance away from the starter, you can see smoke come from his gun before the sound reaches your ears. This great speed of light produces some strange facts. Sunlight takes about 8 minutes to reach us. If you look at the light of the moon tonight, remember that the light rays left the moon 1.3 seconds before they reached you. The nearest star is so far away that the light that you can see from it tonight started to travel towards you about four years ago at a speed of nearly 20 million km per minute. In some cases, the light from one of tonight''s stars started on its journey to you before you were born. Thus, if we want to be honest, we cannot say, "the stars are shining tonight." We have to say, "the stars look pretty. They were shining four years ago, but their light has only just reached the earth."

听力题 Soccer is played by millions of people all over the world, but there have only been few players who were truly great. How did these players get that way — was it through training and practice, or are great players“born, not made”? First, these players came from places that have had famous stars in the past — players that a young boy can look up to and try to imitate. In the history of soccer, only six countries have ever won the World Cup — three from South America and three from Western Europe. There has. never been a great national team — or a really great player — from North America or from Asia. Second, these players have all had years of practice in the game. Alfredo Di Stefano was the son of a soccer player, as was Pele. Most players begin playing the game at the age of three or four. Finally, many great players come from the same kind of neighbourhood — a poor, crowded area where a boy’s dream is not to be a doctor, lawyer, or businessman, but to become a rich, famous athlete or entertainer. Soccer is played by millions of people all over the world, but there have only been few players who were truly great. How did these players get that way — was it through training and practice, or are great players“born, not made”? First, these players came from places that have had famous stars in the past — players that a young boy can look up to and try to imitate. In the history of soccer, only six countries have ever won the World Cup — three from South America and three from Western Europe. There has. never been a great national team — or a really great player — from North America or from Asia. Second, these players have all had years of practice in the game. Alfredo Di Stefano was the son of a soccer player, as was Pele. Most players begin playing the game at the age of three or four. Finally, many great players come from the same kind of neighbourhood — a poor, crowded area where a boy’s dream is not to be a doctor, lawyer, or businessman, but to become a rich, famous athlete or entertainer.

听力题W: Hey, Neal, now that the midterms are over

听力题[此试题无题干]

听力题W: Oh, Rex, I have been looking for you for hours

听力题[此试题无题干]

听力题M: Hi, Janet

听力题The dog has often been an unselfish friend to man

听力题As Dr. Samuel Johnson said in a different era about ladies preaching, the surprising thing about computer is not that they think less well than a man, but that they think at all. The early (36)_________ computer did not have much going for it except a (37)_________memory and some good math skills. But today the best models can be wired up to learn by experience, follow an argument, ask proper questions and write poetry and music. They can also carry on somewhat (38)_________conversations. Computers imitate life. As computer gets more complex, the imitation gets better. Finally, the line between the (39)_________and the copy becomes unclear. In another 15 years or so, we will take the computer as a new form of life. The opinion seems (40)_________ because, for one thing, computers lack the drives and (41)________ of living creatures. But driving a car can be programmed into the computer''s brain just as nature programmed them into our human brains as a part of the equipment for (42)_________. Computers match people in some roles, and when fast decisions are needed in a crisis, they often (43)_________them. Having evolved when the pace of life was slower, the human brain has an inherent defect that prevents it from absorbing several streams of information simultaneously and acting on them quickly. (44) _________________________. We are still controlling computer, (45) _________________________. Computer power has increased ten times every eight years since 1946. In the 1990s, when the sixth generation appears, the reasoning power of an intelligence built out of silicon will begin to match that of the human brain. That does not mean the evolution of intelligence has ended on the earth. (46) ________________________. Only a carbon chemistry enthusiast would assume that the new species must be man''s flesh-and-blood descendants. The new kind of intelligent life is more likely to be made of silicon.

听力题 A lot of people in the United States are coffee drinkers. Over the last few years, a trend has been developing to introduce premium, specially blended coffees—known as "gourmet coffees" —into the American market. Boston seems to have been the birthplace of this trend. In fact, major gourmet coffee merchants from other cities like Seattle and San Francisco came to Boston, where today they''re engaged in a kind of "coffee war" with Boston''s merchants. They are all competing for a significant share of the gourmet coffee market. Surprisingly, the competition among these leading gourmet coffee businesses will not hurt any of them. Experts predict that the gourmet coffee market in the United States is growing and will continue to grow, to the point that gourmet coffee will soon capture half of what is now a 1.5-million-dollar market and will be an 8-million-dollar market. Studies have shown that coffee drinkers who convert to gourmet coffee seldom go back to the regular brands found in supermarkets. As a result, these brands will be the real losers in the gourmet coffee competition. A lot of people in the United States are coffee drinkers. Over the last few years, a trend has been developing to introduce premium, specially blended coffees—known as "gourmet coffees" —into the American market. Boston seems to have been the birthplace of this trend. In fact, major gourmet coffee merchants from other cities like Seattle and San Francisco came to Boston, where today they''re engaged in a kind of "coffee war" with Boston''s merchants. They are all competing for a significant share of the gourmet coffee market. Surprisingly, the competition among these leading gourmet coffee businesses will not hurt any of them. Experts predict that the gourmet coffee market in the United States is growing and will continue to grow, to the point that gourmet coffee will soon capture half of what is now a 1.5-million-dollar market and will be an 8-million-dollar market. Studies have shown that coffee drinkers who convert to gourmet coffee seldom go back to the regular brands found in supermarkets. As a result, these brands will be the real losers in the gourmet coffee competition.

听力题During the early American colonial years

听力题W: Where are you going to spend your holiday this year? George? M: We may go abroad, but I''m not so sure. W: What do you mean? M: Well, my wife''s talking about China recently. She may want to go there. I''d like to go there, too. W: Yes, it''s an interesting country to see. M: But we can''t make up our minds yet. You know, a round-trip ticket to China costs me a lot. W: But you could go by sea. M: You are right. It''s cheap, isn''t it? W: You can save at least half of the money if you go by ship. M: But don''t you think it would take a long time and.. . W: But you can enjoy viewing the sea and the rising sun. M: Yes. I''ll talk to my wife. W: You''ll definitely enjoy yourselves. I''m sure. M: Don''t be so sure. We may not go anywhere. W: You always hesitate at everything. M: It''s not my fault, you know. My wife always worries too much. W: Like what? M: Well, who''s going to look after the house? Who''s going to look after the garden? And who''s going to look after the pets? We have these problems every year. And in the end, we stay at home and look after everything. W: Where are you going to spend your holiday this year? George? M: We may go abroad, but I''m not so sure. W: What do you mean? M: Well, my wife''s talking about China recently. She may want to go there. I''d like to go there, too. W: Yes, it''s an interesting country to see. M: But we can''t make up our minds yet. You know, a round-trip ticket to China costs me a lot. W: But you could go by sea. M: You are right. It''s cheap, isn''t it? W: You can save at least half of the money if you go by ship. M: But don''t you think it would take a long time and.. . W: But you can enjoy viewing the sea and the rising sun. M: Yes. I''ll talk to my wife. W: You''ll definitely enjoy yourselves. I''m sure. M: Don''t be so sure. We may not go anywhere. W: You always hesitate at everything. M: It''s not my fault, you know. My wife always worries too much. W: Like what? M: Well, who''s going to look after the house? Who''s going to look after the garden? And who''s going to look after the pets? We have these problems every year. And in the end, we stay at home and look after everything.

听力题 Movies are the most popular form of entertainment for millions of Americans. They go to the movies, to escape their normal everyday existence and to experience a life more exciting than their own. They may choose to see a particular film because they like the actors, or the because they''ve heard the film has a good story. But the main reason why people go to the movies is to escape. Sitting in a dark theater, watching the images on the screen, they enter another world that is very real to them. They become involved in the lives of the characters in the movie, and for two hours, they forget all about their own problems. They are in a dream world where things often appear to be more romantic and beautiful than in real life. The biggest "dream factories" are in Hollywood, the capital of the film industry. Each year, Hollywood studios make hundreds of movies that are shown all over the world. American movies are popular because they show interesting stories and they are well made. They provide the public with heroes who do things the average person would like to do but often can''t. People have to cope with many problems and frustrations in real life, so they feel encouraged when they see the "good guys" win in the movies. Movies are the most popular form of entertainment for millions of Americans. They go to the movies, to escape their normal everyday existence and to experience a life more exciting than their own. They may choose to see a particular film because they like the actors, or the because they''ve heard the film has a good story. But the main reason why people go to the movies is to escape. Sitting in a dark theater, watching the images on the screen, they enter another world that is very real to them. They become involved in the lives of the characters in the movie, and for two hours, they forget all about their own problems. They are in a dream world where things often appear to be more romantic and beautiful than in real life. The biggest "dream factories" are in Hollywood, the capital of the film industry. Each year, Hollywood studios make hundreds of movies that are shown all over the world. American movies are popular because they show interesting stories and they are well made. They provide the public with heroes who do things the average person would like to do but often can''t. People have to cope with many problems and frustrations in real life, so they feel encouraged when they see the "good guys" win in the movies.

听力题 Americans now spend more money on fast food than they do on higher education, personal computers, software or new cars. The rapid growth of the fast-food industry has been driven by fundamental changes in the U. S. economy. The hourly wage of the average American worker peaked in 1973 and then steadily declined until last year. Women entered the work force in record numbers, often motivated less by feminism than by a need to help pay the bills. In 1975, about a third of American mothers with young children worked outside the home; today about two-thirds of such mothers are employed. As the sociologists Cameron Lynne Macdonald and Carmen Sirianni have noted, the entry of women into the nation''s work force has greatly increased demand for the types of services that housewives traditionally performed: cooking, cleaning and child-care. The fast-food industry has benefited from these demographic changes, supplying at low cost the meals no longer prepared in the home and hiring at low wages millions of young women in need of extra income. The McDonald''s Corp. has become a powerful symbol of America''s service economy, the sector now responsible for ninety percent of the country''s new jobs. In 1968, McDonald''s operated about 1,000 restaurants. Today it has about 23,000 restaurants worldwide and opens roughly 2,000 new ones each year. An estimated one of every eight Americans has worked at McDonald''s. The company annually trains more new workers than the U.S. Army. McDonald''s is the nation''s largest purchaser of beef and potatoes. It is the second-largest purchaser of poultry. Americans now spend more money on fast food than they do on higher education, personal computers, software or new cars. The rapid growth of the fast-food industry has been driven by fundamental changes in the U. S. economy. The hourly wage of the average American worker peaked in 1973 and then steadily declined until last year. Women entered the work force in record numbers, often motivated less by feminism than by a need to help pay the bills. In 1975, about a third of American mothers with young children worked outside the home; today about two-thirds of such mothers are employed. As the sociologists Cameron Lynne Macdonald and Carmen Sirianni have noted, the entry of women into the nation''s work force has greatly increased demand for the types of services that housewives traditionally performed: cooking, cleaning and child-care. The fast-food industry has benefited from these demographic changes, supplying at low cost the meals no longer prepared in the home and hiring at low wages millions of young women in need of extra income. The McDonald''s Corp. has become a powerful symbol of America''s service economy, the sector now responsible for ninety percent of the country''s new jobs. In 1968, McDonald''s operated about 1,000 restaurants. Today it has about 23,000 restaurants worldwide and opens roughly 2,000 new ones each year. An estimated one of every eight Americans has worked at McDonald''s. The company annually trains more new workers than the U.S. Army. McDonald''s is the nation''s largest purchaser of beef and potatoes. It is the second-largest purchaser of poultry.

听力题F: Hello, Jim. What''s your problem? M: Hi

听力题Presently I got up and dressed

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听力题 The living conditions for the poor and for immigrants in New York City during the late nineteenth century were truly wretched. Over one and a half million poor people lived in tenements, a form of barracks-like building that could house some five hundred people in a structure lacking heat and plumbing. The resulting poverty, disease, and crime make tenement life degrading and often fatal. But almost as shocking as the city-condoned horror of the tenements was the government''s neglect of normal city functions. Real estate development was uncontrolled, resulting in factories, stores, and residences springing up randomly without consideration of zoning or building codes. Pollution of waterways was unrestricted, streets were poorly paved, lighting was inadequate, and sewage disposal was insufficient. Some of the poor housing can be blamed on New York''s rapid population growth. But most of the wretched living conditions in the city must be attributed to the corrupt city government of the late nineteenth century. The living conditions for the poor and for immigrants in New York City during the late nineteenth century were truly wretched. Over one and a half million poor people lived in tenements, a form of barracks-like building that could house some five hundred people in a structure lacking heat and plumbing. The resulting poverty, disease, and crime make tenement life degrading and often fatal. But almost as shocking as the city-condoned horror of the tenements was the government''s neglect of normal city functions. Real estate development was uncontrolled, resulting in factories, stores, and residences springing up randomly without consideration of zoning or building codes. Pollution of waterways was unrestricted, streets were poorly paved, lighting was inadequate, and sewage disposal was insufficient. Some of the poor housing can be blamed on New York''s rapid population growth. But most of the wretched living conditions in the city must be attributed to the corrupt city government of the late nineteenth century.

听力题 An “early bird” used to be a person who was awake early and began his(or her)day’s work before other people. The people who said it were thinking of an old saying: “It is the early bird that catches the worm.” But since 1965 the Early Bird has had a different meaning. The modern Early Bird is a communications satellite in orbit round the earth. The use of wires to carry telephone communications and for other purposes of the same kind does not satisfy modern needs. We had to use radio. But the radio waves that we use for these purposes — microwaves — travel in straight lines. They do not follow the curve of the earth’s surface. We can send them from one radio station to another relay station. If there is no relay station within about 50 kilometers to receive the microwaves, they will continue into space. At a certain height, some of them are sent back to earth. A powerful station several hundred kilometers from their starting point can receive them. But these are not good ways of sending the thousands of telephone, radio and television signals across the oceans. An “early bird” used to be a person who was awake early and began his(or her)day’s work before other people. The people who said it were thinking of an old saying: “It is the early bird that catches the worm.” But since 1965 the Early Bird has had a different meaning. The modern Early Bird is a communications satellite in orbit round the earth. The use of wires to carry telephone communications and for other purposes of the same kind does not satisfy modern needs. We had to use radio. But the radio waves that we use for these purposes — microwaves — travel in straight lines. They do not follow the curve of the earth’s surface. We can send them from one radio station to another relay station. If there is no relay station within about 50 kilometers to receive the microwaves, they will continue into space. At a certain height, some of them are sent back to earth. A powerful station several hundred kilometers from their starting point can receive them. But these are not good ways of sending the thousands of telephone, radio and television signals across the oceans.